BEREA -- New Year's Day was more like Groundhog Day in Berea as another search for another Browns head coach intensified.

According to reports, none of them coming straight from owner Jimmy Haslam or CEO Joe Banner, the Browns have already scheduled several interviews in their hunt to replace Pat Shurmur, who was fired Monday after going 9-23 in two seasons. The next head coach will be the sixth hired by the Browns since 1999.

An interview has been set with Syracuse head coach Doug Marrone, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Schefter also said the Bills will interview Marrone.

Marrone is 25-25 in four years at Syracuse. That isn't a knock-your-socks off record and Marrone is not a marquee name, but he was offensive coordinator with the Saints from 2005-08, so the interest is genuine.

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Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator Ray Horton was on the Browns' short list even before Shurmur was fired, according to various reports. Jason La Canfora, of CBS sports, reported the Browns will interview Horton for their vacancy, and Adam Caplan, of Sirius XM Radio, is reporting Banner is in Phoenix to interview Horton.

Rumors can get crazy, particularly with seven coaches fired Monday and all the national writers vying to be the fastest tweeter on the Internet. Half of the reports on Tuesday had former Eagles coach Andy Reid on the verge of being hired by Arizona and just as many said the Cardinals haven't even interviewed Reid yet, though they plan to talk to him. One minute former Browns general manager Tom Heckert was joining Reid in Arizona, the next minute he wasn't.

A comment Haslam made Monday during his press conference about the coach/G.M. search is worth repeating:

"There are only two people who know who the candidates are," Haslam said, referring to himself and Banner. "And you're looking at both of them. There will be a million rumors out there. You all have done this before, about this person and that person. Much like when we spoke on August 3, we're not going to comment on any people, specifically, for either of the two searches."

Foxsports.com reported the Browns have set up an interview with Falcons offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter. Koetter, 53, was the Jaguars offensive coordinator for five seasons before joining the Falcons coaching staff in 2012.

Oregon head coach Chip Kelly is the current flavor of the week, according to Caplan is at the top of the Browns' wish list. On Tuesday, however, La Canfora reported he expects Kelly to stay at Oregon, and not for the first time. Kelly had a chance to jump to the NFL last year as coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but declined.

Caplan reports the Browns and Eagles are hot for Kelly, who is busy preparing the Ducks to play Kansas State in the Fiesta Bowl on Thursday night.

Kelly likes a spread offense and he likes running quarterbacks operating from the shotgun. The shotgun would benefit Brandon Weeden, but he will never beat Robert Griffin III in a race.

Banner was asked to assess Weeden during the press conference on Monday but said now isn't the time to grade players on the roster.

Chris Mortensen, of ESPN, was the first to report the Browns have interest in Penn State head coach Bill O'Brien. Penn State, to guard against O'Brien bailing after one year, included a $9.2 million buyout clause in his contract.

If Haslam really wants the former Patriots offensive coordinator, it is going to cost some serious Pilot Flying J Cheetos profits, but Haslam has the deep pockets and enthusiasm to do whatever he chooses. Plus, O'Brien has the solid endorsement of Browns special teams ace Ray Ventrone. O'Brien was Ventrone's position coach for two seasons in New England.

"He's a good person at heart," Ventrone said. "He cares about his players. He puts his players in the best position to do well. He was my receivers coach so I was closer to him than other coaches."

And of course, the name that will continue to be linked to the Browns at least through Monday if no one is hired sooner is Alabama head coach Nick Saban. Saban is coaching the Crimson Tide against Notre Dame on Monday night and is gunning for his third BCS championship in four years at Alabama.

Haslam began talking enthusiastically about Saban with friends in August just days after he surfaced as the man buying the Browns from Randy Lerner. One report, which had no attribution, speculated Haslam is ready to offer Saban a 10-year contract for $100 million. Saban would be 71 when it expires.

Saban cannot escape the rumors, even when he denies interest. That is because he coached the Miami Dolphins in 2005-06 and at the end denied he was leaving to coach at Alabama. Then he left to coach at Alabama a week later.

"This is what we're happy doing," Saban said last month during a press conference in Tuscaloosa, Ala. "This is what we like to do. But nobody really believes that. So, you know, maybe it doesn't matter. I don't know what I have to say or do, but it's kind of funny to me."

One rumor, which seemed to fizzle out as quickly as it began, had Saban already beginning to interview potential assistant coaches on his Browns' staff.

One thing is certain; Saban definitely fits the profile Haslam wants in a head coach. He wants his head coach to be the face of the team.

"Strong leadership," Haslam said succinctly when asked about the most important quality he wants from his head coach.

Haslam and Banner want to hire the head coach before hiring a director of personnel. They could hire Saban first and then hire Mike Lombardi to run the personnel department. Saban was the Browns defensive coordinator from 1991-94. Lombardi was with the Browns from 1987-95. He was the Pro Personnel Director from 1987-91 and Director of Player Personnel from 1992-95.